July’s People

In July 2021, South Africa was confronted with the most emphatic indicator of social discontent in the post-democratic dispensation. Within a period of a little over a week starting on the 8th of July, about 350 persons lost their lives, tens went missing with some still yet to be found, and thousands were injured. R50 billion was estimated to have been lost to the economy as a result of the violence. Since July 2021, the country has struggled to make sense of what happened and we have referred to the incidents as “the unrest, the food riots, the looting, and the Zuma Insurrection” amongst many other names. The Report of the Expert Panel into the July 2021 Civil Unrest also highlights the multiple factors that contributed to the unrest. With the Wabhubha uMhlaba Podcast, we aim to produce a compelling narrative on the history and lived realities of people in KwaZulu-Natal, to produce a public resource for generative and fruitful discourse and social action, as well as to provide a space that is safe enough for victims and affected people share their story of what happened with the country and speak truth to power. The Wabhubha uMhlaba podcast is brought to you by the Nelson Mandela Foundation in partnership with the South African Human Rights Commission, Original cover artwork by Thato Toeba, Production by Showcast Media, Supported by the Old Mutual Foundation.